D’Hulst to Naville, August 26, 1888, page 2
[1] [j’ai été obligé de trouver] des nouveaux ouvriers. Aussi me voilà encore
[2] ici quoique j’avais compte d’être en voyage
[3] il y a déjà six semaines.
[4] Mr. Poole me dit que vous viendrez ou
[5] dans le mais d’Octobre ou dans le mois de
[6] Janvier ; il me serait agréable de savoir
[7] vos intentions afin d’arranger mes plans.
[8] Au Musée de Boulac on a déjà com-
[9] mencé de faire payer vu entrée, on l’a
[10] fixé à un shilling pour tous les jours
[11] excepte le Mercredi quand elle sera de
[12] deux shillings.
[13] Il parait qu’on a acquiert aussi
[14] plusieurs tablettes cuneiformes de Tell el
[15] Amarna au musée de Boulac ; à present
[16] un employé du musée de Berlin se trouve
[17] ici pour les copier.
[18] Dr. Grant me dit que dernièrement
[19] en faisant des fouilles pour une fontaine
[20] au avait trouvé des pierres inscrites a
[21] Samanoud.
[22] Il y a quelques jours un Arab
[23] avait trouvé 2 bracelets pour le bas bras,
[24] 2 de même pour le haut bras, une bagué
[25] & un collier, le tous en or sur Tell Basta.
[26] Il l’avait apporté chez un jouaillier qui
[après prétendait de n’avoir reçu que deux bracelets]
Transcription notes
[14] cunéiformes
[15] présent
[26] joaillier
Translation
[1] [I had to find] new workers. So here I am again,
[2] although I planned to be traveling
[3] already six weeks ago.
[4] Mr. Poole tells me that you will come either
[5] in the month of October or in the month of
[6] January; it would be nice to know
[7] your intentions in order to arrange my plans.
[8] At the Boulac Museum they have already start-
[9] ed charging for entry, they have fixed it
[10] at a shilling for every day
[11] except for Wednesday when it will be
[12] two shillings.
[13] It seems that they have also acquired
[14] several cuneiform tablets from Tell el
[15] Amarna at the Boulac museum; now
[16] an employee of the Berlin museum is
[17] here to copy them.
[18] Dr. Grant tells me that recently,
[19] while excavating a fountain,
[20] he found stones inscribed at
[21] Samanoud.
[22] A few days ago an Arab
[23] had found 2 bracelets for the lower arm,
[24] 2 similarly for the upper arm, a ring
[25] & a necklace, all in gold on Tell Basta.
[26] He had brought it to a jeweler who
[later claimed to have received only two bracelets]
Historical notes:
[4] Reginald Stuart Poole (1832-1895), co-founder Egypt Exploration Fund
[8] Boulac Museum: alt. spelling for Bulaq Museum (also Boulak, Boulaq), see http://egyptartefacts.griffith.ox.ac.uk/destinations/cairo-bulaq-museum
[18] Dr James Andrew Sandilands Grant (1840 – 1896), Scottish physician, Egyptologist and collector. See http://www.egyptologyscotland.co.uk/scots for brief biography.
[21] Sammanoud: alt. spelling Sammanud, also known by its Greek title, Sebennytos, an ancient city of Lower Egypt
MS source
Bibliothèque de Genève, Ms. fr. 2542, f. 232